​Yangarra – McLaren Vale ancient and modern

Walk into the cavernous Yangarra winery shed in McLaren Vale during the middle of vintage and the first thing you will be shown by winemaker Peter Fraser is his huge, gleaming Vaucher Beguet grape-sorting machine in action. 

It is quite a sight: bins full of whole bunches go in one end and a mechanised array of pluckers, shakers and blowers gets to work pulling out all the stalks and leaves and shriveled bits until a waterfall of perfect grapes comes tumbling out the other end. 

This machine is one of the reasons why the quality of Yangarra’s wines has improved...